OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) says that while Oklahoma has obligated over 50% of its COVID recovery funds, the state government has only spent less than 1% of it.

The Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program allocated $350 billion to tribal governments, states, the District of Columbia, local governments, and U.S. territories to help cover a broad range of costs stemming from the health and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

GAO examined the SLFRF funding reports as of March 31, 2023 – the most recent data available at the time of its analysis – to determine how the money has been spent.

The Treasury requires SLFRF recipients to submit “project and expenditure” reports that provide information on their uses of the funding – including obligation and spending amounts – along with projects undertaken, among other things.

According to GAO’s analysis, the state of Oklahoma has obligated over 50% of its SLFRF funds.

However, GAO also reports that the state has only spent less than 1% of that funding – the lowest in the nation.

According to the Treasury, SLFRF funding must be obligated by December 31, 2024, and jurisdictions have until December 31, 2026, to fully expend their funds.

Read GAO’s full report, including how local governments are spending their funding, here.